Package-wrapping machine



L4637l6 W. B. MUNN PACKAGE WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5. 1922 2Sheets-Sheet l Qm, a

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July 31, 1923.

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W. B. MUNN PACKAGE WRAPPING MACHNE Filed Jan. 3. 1922 QN A VIV PatentedJuly 31, 1923.

unirsnfsrares WILLIAM B. MUNN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OFO1\TEIEAL]F` T0 MERRILL Partnr ortica.

JACOBS, OF I/IEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

PAcKAGn-wnnrrrne MAcHinn.l

'A Application ined zranuarys, i922'.` serial N. 526,651,l

To allivwm t may concern.' i Be it known thatI, WILLIAM B, `MUNN, acitizen of the United States of America,

residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new rand useful Improvements in Package-TrappingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to an improved package machine designedespecially for use inassemfbling, wrapping, and tying bundles ofarticles'into compact and neatly wrapped packages. The invention isparticularly adapted for use in wrapping fiat pieces in bundles, as forinstance laundered articles, and is primarily designed to `provide meansoperated by manual power and means operated by pedal power convenientlycombined and arranged whereby the packages may be wrapped with facilityand dispatch.

In the accompanying drawings l have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combinedand arranged according to the best mode I have thus far devised for thepractical applica tion of the principles of my invention, and while Ishall hereinafter refer to the machine in connection with the wrappingof bundles of laundry, or fiat laundered pieces, it will be understoodthat the device is adapted for various other uses, and such uses arecontemplated.

Changes and alterations may be made in the illustrated` eXemplificat-ionof my invention, within the scope` of my appended claims, withoutdeparting from the spirit` of my invention.

Figure lis a plan View of the machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 1s a view in front elevation of A the machine.

Figure 3 is an end vie-w as seen from the right in Figures 1 and 2.-

Figure i is `a transverse-sectional view through the central portion ofthe machine.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view through the`central portion of the wrapped and tied packages be delivered ordeposited at the right end of the table.

At itsapproxiinate center the top of the `table is inclined as at 3,declining toward the front of the tableto form a support rand guide fora sheet ofwrapping paper, and

this inclined portion merges into a depressed or lowered shelf 4Lextending to the front edge of the table to afford a stationary supportand space for the assembled pieces and i the operation of wrapping theminto a bunl dle or package.

The legs2 are braced by the utilization of frame bars 5 to form a rigidstructure, and transverse partitions 4 are spaced at the sides ofthe'cen'ter of the table atvthe ends of the lowered shelf, with theirupper ends or edges terminating below the inner edges of the tablesections l and la.

As temporary supports, that are to be withdrawn at the proper time, forthe flat pieces as they are being assembled,I pro-l vide a pair ofcomplementary, longitudinally disposed, horizontal, reciprocable orslidable vleaves 6 and 7 of proper width to support a pile of laundrypieces, and of the required length to; slide over` the depressed shelf 4and meet` atthe centerI of the table, as shown in Figures l, 2 and 5,Vfor the purpose of temporarily supporting a pile of laundry pieces. Forguidingt'hese slidable leaves I utilize strips or cleats 8, 8, disposedbeneath the slide leaves, and to insure a smooth movement of the leavesin sliding I employ rollers as 8 between the upper surface of the leavesand the under faces of the y `l1`having`a gear 1'2 thereon.

meshes with a complementary gear 13 on a' lar rollers at the upper edgesof the partitions 4 beneath the slide leaves. Thus the leaves aremaintained in stable position and may be reciprocated longitudinally ofthe table, toward or away from its center, with facility and dispatch`At the inner ends of the resi` ctive slide leaves a eonlplenientarynotch "is provided, which, when the leavesY are in closed position forma .rectangularV counters'haft let, and the shafts 11 and 14 arejournaled in suitable bearing brackets 15 supported v from the frame5,'in order that 'bysw'inginglthe lever l0 as indicated 1n dot-V tedlines igure A2 both shafts may be rocked, simultaneously, to swing thelevers 16 vand 17 affixed ,to theserespective shafts.

As best shown in Figure 5, the 'levers lr6 and 'i 'extendupwardly andare inclined at the sides ofthe longitudinal center ofthe table,withltheir upper ends disposed beneath the slide leaves and under thedepressed shelf 4, 4 means of the outwardly extending,

curved links 18 and 19, the respective levers 17 and V16 are connectedtothe slide leaves 6 and7 at the pivot points 2O beneath the leaves, andit will thus be apparent'that .whe'n'the leverrlO is swung tothe rightto l dotted position in Figure 2, the leaves 16 and Twill be withdrawnfrom the center of the table, disappearing beneath the respective tablesections l and l, and leaving ,an

, open, 'unobstructed space above the shelf 4.

Inconjunction with .these slide leaves for temporarily supporting thepile of laundrypieces 'I utilize a vertically depressible head, inf theform of a longitudinally"disposed, short bar 21, adapted vto move andproject through a complementary slot 22 in the 4depressed shelf andfashioned with a'pair yof vertical guide arms 21. Thehead yis vlocatedin such position as to pro'ect slightlyabove `the topsurface of theslide leaves and re- "ceive the `load or weight at the central por"Ation of thepile of flat-pieces whenv they are placed on the abuttingleaves, andas seen inFigures 1 and 5 is positioned centrally .of

"thefslot 949 vin the leaves for this purpose. "In forming thev pile offlat pieces, with the parts in positinn shown in Figuresv I1, 2 and 5,they are laid on the abutting leaves, centrail'ly" positioned thereon,with 'part of the weight supported on the head 2,71. After the pile hasbeen formed, the operating lever 10 is swung to the right vin Figure l,and the slide leaves are parted and withdrawn from beneath the pile. Thefunction ofthe head is to receive the load of the pile with sufficientfriction as to prevent either of the slide leaves, as they are beingwithdrawn, from pulling the pile toV right or left, and the head thusmaintains the pile in proper position for subsequent operations.V Uponwithdrawal of the slide leaves, :the head is immediately lowered throughthe stem connection 23 with a treadle 24. The normal position of .thehead; isfflushrwithjthe 0f the shelf l, in slot 22, but for supportingthe pile of pieces in connection with the slide'leaves, the treadle 24is depressed by foot power at its front end to elevate the stein "'23and "head-#21. By releasing the treadle the head fallsvby gravity, or byspring POWer. I

lnconnection with the wrapping .and tying of the bundle I utilize a pairof hinged boards, 25 or 26, each hingedat its outerend at 27 to one ofthe partit'ionsfl in position to be .flush with the top of the shelf 4L,and with its inner end adapted tol be elevated. These hinged boards aredisposed in openings provided thereforin the .shelfr andare providedwith central, longitudinally extending grooves 25 26"v in their up er'surv faces, and with -they alined groove a in the top surface oft'heshelf, a `continuous groove is`formed `for the reception' of astring ol" tion of the linger `and thumb of each hand of thebundlefwrapper,` and at S are provided spring clips for temporarilyholding the ends of the cord orA string until it is to be tied about thebundle. These hinged boards are operated singly and independA ently,each having a connecting rod orlink as 28, 29 forming a pivotalconnection with the respective treadlesl 30 and 31, located inconvenient position for the 'foot of the bundle wrapper.

The sheet of wrapping paper for the bundle is supplied from the paperroll 32,

supported above theftable and' at the rear" thereof on thellongitudinally extending shaft 33 which may be oscillated and isjournaled in the end frames 34 erected above the table top. A tiltablecutter frame 35 is c suspended on the shaft`33, balanced at the."

rear by a counterweiffht orfcounterweights 36 suspended from tlleframe,andl at'the front of the frame are a pair of spaced disks' 37fixed thereto and joinedby a yrigid angle bar 38. A y Y The disks or endpieces 37 and thecutter angle-bar 38 form rigid members of. the itiltable vor oscillatable cutter frame', and the cutter bar is fashioned'with a," longitude'.

nally extending 'groove 39,5from end to end,

to receive the rotary knife 40 supported'frorn .fr the two end disks 37and the knife head may be slid across the length of the cutter bar withthe rotary cutter traveling in the groove v 39 to sever a sheet of paperfrom the roll. To maintain the tiltable roll in stationary position adetent 42 on one or both of the disks of the tilt-able frame, is adaptedto engage a rack bar 43 pivoted at 44 on the table top and standingerect at the front end or ends of the tiltable frame, a guide 45 on therack bar being used if required. The paper roll has stationary bearingsin the fixed frame 34, but it will be apparent that the cutter frame maybe tilted at its front end to lowered or elevated position as indicatedby dotted lines in Figures 3 and 4.

After the flat pieces of laundry have been stacked on the abuttingslideleaves, and before the head 21 has been elevated, a strip of paper ispulled from the roll, passed over the cutter bar 38, and the pullingaction of the paper sheet may depress the front end of the tiltableframe to lowered position. The free end of the paper strip is passeddown the incline 3 beneath the abutting slide leaves and over the shelf4, one hand of the bundle wrapper being utilized to draw the sheet fromthe roll, while the other hand is used to slide the cutter head androtary knife across the paper strip whereby the rotary cutter, travelingin the groove severs the sheet of paper. The head 2l is now elevated bypedal action and the slide leaves withdrawn by manual power leaving th-estack or pile of laundry pieces resting on the paper sheet and head,whereupon the head is permitted to fall leaving the stack and papersheet resting on the shelf. The stack is now shifted on the paper sheettoward the front of the shelf, (a string or cord having previously beenplaced in the groove 25 4L 26') and rests on the shelf and its flush,hinged boa-rds 25, 26. According to the position of the stacl on thehinged boards, the wrapper selects one or the other of the treadles 30,3l to elevate one end of the stack. 1f treadle 30 is selected the freeend or inner end of board 25 is elevated to tilt the left end of thestack, thus giving access for the left hand of the wrapper to manipulatethe bundle and wrap the sheet of paper about it. After wrapping thebundle the cord or string is wound around the package as usual, tied,and the bundle then shifted to the section la of the table. After thebundle has beenwrapped, the treadle 30 is released and the hinged board25 permitted to drop into place.

In prepa-ration for the next wrapping operation, the slide leaves areagain brought to closed, abutting position, the sheet of paper issevered, the stack is made, and the successive bundles thus formed andwrapped.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is l. The combination with a table having adepressed shelf to receive a paper sheet, of a pair of longitudinallyreciprocablr.: slide leaves adapted to be positioned above said shelf toreceive and temporarilyfsupport a load, and means for supporting` saidload as the leaves are withdrawn from supporting position.

2. The combination with a table having a supporting shelf to receive apaper sheet, of a pair of longitudinally disposed, reciprocable leavesadapted to be positioned above said shelf to receive and temporarilysupport a load, a head and means for elevating said head co-acting withsaid leaves to temporarily support said load as the leaves are withdrawnfrom supporting position.

3. The combination with a table having a shelf, of a pair ofcomplementary slide leaves adapted to be positioned above said shelf toreceive and temporarily support a load, a head, and means for elevatingsaid head between said leaves to support the load as the leaves arewithdrawn from supporting position.

4. The combination with a table having end sections and a depressedshelf, of a pair of slide leaves and actuating means therefor adapted tobe positioned ab-ove said shelffto receive and support a load, a headhaving guide arms thereon and adapted to be elevated through said shelfand between said leaves, a stem on the head, and actuating meansconnected to said stem.

5. The combination with a table having elevated ends and an intermediatedepressed shelf with openings therein, of a pair of boards having hingesat their outer ends and normally flush with said shelf, and independentmeans for tilting the inner free ends of said boards above the shelf.

6. The combination in a machine as described with a stationary shelf, ofa slide leaf adapted to be positioned above said shelf to support a loadand means for reciprocating said leaf, of a vertically reciprocable headand means for elevating said head to support said load when said leaf iswithdrawn from supporting position.

7. The combination of a stack supporting device adapted to receive asheet -of paper, from a paper roll a shaft, a tiltable cutting framesupported on said shaft and adapted to guide a strip of paper from saidroll to said device,4and means on said frame for severing the sheet ofpaper.

8. rlhe combination in a machine as described with a shelf having anopening therein and a groove in its upper surface,

Vof a hinged board in said opening normally flush with said shelf andprovided with a groove forming a Continuation of the first mentionedgroove, and means for elevating the free ends of said hoard.

9. The combination in a machine as del 5 scribed With a shelf havingspaced openings and a groove in the upper surface of the Shelf betweensaid openings, of a pair of hinged boards'in said openings and providedrvith surfaoegrooves alin'ed Withv the' grooveV in Jrhe shelf, and meansfor inde# 10 pendentiy elevating the inner' endv of either hoard. Intestimony whereof' I have affixed my signaturel WILLIAM B.l iviUNN;A

